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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405328">Due Diligence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudigersmooch/pseuds/rudigersmooch'>rudigersmooch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Weird flirting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:26:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405328</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudigersmooch/pseuds/rudigersmooch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Quark is up to something, and Odo's suspicious nature turns out to be a good thing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Odo/Quark (Star Trek)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Quodo Mini-fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Due Diligence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinebrightlikeanimon/gifts">shinebrightlikeanimon</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After many years spent as the station's head of security, Odo had learned to be suspicious of anything even slightly out of the ordinary. Part of that was his nature as a shapeshifter, he was sure (seeing how easily others could be fooled certainly made him aware of the concept) but the rest was simply practice and pride in his work. Odo was rarely wrong when he followed a clue, and a clue pointing to a crime could be anything: a strand of hair, a loose piece of packaging, a dropped tool in a silent room. Odo had perfected the art of finding them, no matter how small, and following where they led, to crimes as-yet undiscovered.</p><p>Sometimes, however, Odo's great and practiced skills weren't needed, and now was one of those times. As far as clues went, the sign hanging over Quark's bar top was more like someone setting something on fire in the middle of the crowded promenade.</p><p>
  <b>ALL DRINKS: 5% OFF</b>
</p><p>Below the bold lettering was a single date and a range of three hours, the specified time overlapping neither the lunch nor dinner rush and occurring in the middle of the upcoming week. Under normal circumstances, Quark's would be at its slowest during that time—and, coincidentally, it coincided with Odo's weekly review of the station's security tapes and briefings.</p><p>The sign might as well have been a recorded confession, and for that fact alone, Odo didn't trust it.</p>
<hr class="hr"/><p> </p><p>Odo's surveillance of Quark and his dealings had been lax lately due to pressing concerns about Romulan smuggling and an influx of petty thievery, but Odo made certain it was increased to the highest level as soon as he returned to his office that afternoon. Whenever possible, Odo watched the live video with vigilant eyes, looking for irregularities during the sixteen hours a day he was aware and mostly solid—it came at the cost of slightly less personal vigilance over the rest of the station, but it was a worthy trade to catch Quark in his criminal enterprises at last. </p><p>Unfortunately, what he saw during that time surprised even him: nothing. For five solid days, Quark did nothing out of the ordinary—he neither received nor sent any shipments, he bullied Rom as much as usual, he bustled and blustered around his bar during its peak times and completely ignored the presence of the sign he'd personally hung there. Whenever anyone asked about it, Quark confirmed its accuracy and gave no explanation, leading to confused looks all around the promenade and more than one complaint about the narrow sliver of time. For the entire period Odo watched him, Quark's behavior was the cleanest it had ever been…and then, ten minutes before the sign's specified time for discounts, a surely busy time of his own making, he told all of his employees that they were done for the day.</p><p>The bar had been empty of customers and employees alike for forty-five minutes before Odo abandoned his office, determined to keep an eye on Quark in person as he straightened chairs and polished tabletops. He gave up on the premise of stealth after only a brief consideration—it was clear that Quark's mischief needed a firmer hand, and the discouragement of Odo's visible presence, rather than silent observation.</p><p>As he approached Quark's turned back, however, Odo couldn't help but hope he'd been wrong, somehow, despite his instincts.</p><p>"Quark." Odo said his name sharply enough that Quark jumped, but not enough that he dropped the glass he was busy polishing. It was such a mundane, monotonous task, the sort of thing Quark usually delegated while he counted the day's profits instead; Odo's unease worsened.</p><p>"Odo!" Quark looked happy to see him, but also suspiciously flustered. "You're a little late - I was sure you wouldn't show." Quark flapped his cloth in the direction of his ears. "What's with the—?"</p><p>He cut himself off, looking even more embarrassed than before, and Odo was somewhat mollified by the normalcy of it. The change in Odo's appearance did explain a little of Quark's strange initial reaction; Odo didn't normally have Ferengi ears, after all.</p><p>"An experiment." Odo had worked on perfecting his standard ears for years, and it was only recently that he'd considered modifying them for better sound surveillance. Unfortunately, Ferengi ears were more complicated that they appeared—while he was quite certain the size and whorls were a good approximation, the internal structure was infinitely harder to perfect without further study.</p><p>But that was irrelevant at the moment.</p><p>"What are you up to, Quark?" Odo nodded at the sign. "You should know that I have the entire security detail on standby, and whatever dangerous material you're trying to offload, a quick search will find it. You won't be selling any drinks at all tonight." Odo followed the statement with an exaggerated look around the empty bar. "Not that you would've been, anyway—which you obviously knew."</p><p>Quark pretended to look offended, as he frequently did whenever Odo was correct.</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about! It's not <i>my</i> fault that people don't trust an honest discount." The way Quark said the last word—like it left a bad taste in his mouth—ruined the effect, and he seemed to realize that a second later. His expression turned sullen. "Fine. But it's not like I can just ask you to dinner. You don't eat."</p><p>Odo narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Are you trying to bribe me?"</p><p>Quark's look of offense at that question was a little more convincing than it had been the first time.</p><p>"And throw away my hard-earned latinum?" He scoffed and resumed his hurried polishing of the glass in his hand. "No. I'm trying to date you."</p><p>Odo could hardly believe his ears, but—to be fair—they were new.</p><p>The silence dragged on, interrupted only by the occasional squeak of cloth against clean glass.</p><p>"That wasn't the confession I was expecting," Odo said slowly once he finally found the words. It didn't make any sense; he and Quark hated each other. Sometimes. Mostly.</p><p>Quark smiled at him, a smarmy expression full of pointed teeth.</p><p>"There's always next time." Quark nodded at the nearest bar stool and finally put aside the glass he'd clearly been using to busy his hands. "Sit down, Odo. We have a not-dinner date to finish."</p><p>For reasons Odo couldn't explain, he sat.</p>
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